Car-coupling



(N0 ModeL) D. K. EASTMAN.

GAR COUPLING.

N0. 31%969. Patented June 2, 1885.

.A'ttorneya side of the said draw-head.

llwrrnn drains n'rnn r @rrrca DUNGAX K. EASTMAN, OF CHARLESTOWN, XElV HAll'IPSI-IIRE.

CAR-COUPLING.

E3?ECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 318,969, dated June 2, 1885.

Application filed April 4, 1885.

I0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DUNCAN K. EASTMAN, a citizen of the United States of America, rcsiding at Oharlcstown, in the county of Sullivan and State of Xcw Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional view of my device, and Fig. is a plan view of the same.

This invention has relation to improvements in devices for coupling and uncoupling cars; and it has forits object to provide means where by a person may avoid the objectionable necessity of going between approaching cars to perform the operation of coupling and on coupling.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction, combination, and adaptation of devices, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims appended.

In the accompanying drawings, A indicates aframe forsupporting the draw-head, the rails a a of which constitute the side rails of an ordinary freight or passenger car, and b the transverse beam of a platform, from which suspends the vertical yoke B for supporting the forward end of the drawhead. The drawhead is provided on its upper side with a lon gitudinal slot, 0, between the vertical walls of which are pivoted the linksecuring jaw D. Thisjaw is of a form substantially L-shaped in outline, and is provided on its upper forward longitudinal side with lateral flanges d d, which are designed to engage the upper The pivoted rod E, connected to the cam-lever N, within the draw-head, extends laterally therefrom, and has made fast to opposite ends thereof one half ofa gilnbal-joint, the opposite half being arranged on the inner ends of the operatingrods F F, which are respectivelysupported in vertical brackets G and p rovidcd with a crank or hand lever. It will beseen that by the use of these gimhal-joints the operating-rods may be prevented from binding or twisting during operation and the draw-head allowed to play without injury to any of its connections. The

draw-head is also provided in its lower wall (Ne model.)

with a vertical slot, H, which opens from the mo nth a sufiicient distance rearward for the reception of the pivoted jaw I. This jaw I is pivoted in the said slot near its lower end. It has its forward upper side curved upwardly and inwardly or rcarwardly to a transverse groove, f, in the upper rear end thereof, the said curved portion having a vertical longi tudinal slot, for the reception of the hook h, formed on the forward under side of the longitudinal branch of the jaw D. Thisjaw I is also provided on the upper end of its vertical branch K with a shallow groove, i, for the passage of the hook h and the jaw D, and the vertical branch of this jaw is designed to engage the vertical branch of the jaw D and throw the same in its slot-seat in removing the coupling-link. The draw-head is providedin its inner upper wall with a downwardly and rearwardly curved guide, H, which is adapted to guide the connectinglink to the transverse groove in the vertical branch of the jaw D.

L indicates a slide'way which is provided on the upper side of the draw-head in rear of the vertical slot 0, and P is a longitudinal slide arranged therein, which is designed to engage and lock the jaw D when a connecting-link is in position. This slide is held to its seat by means of a friction-spring, It, or other suitable device.

S indicates a transverse bar extending from opposite sides of the car, from the under side of which is suspended swivelcd brackets T, supporting the slide-operating levers it. These levers are slotted longitudinally at their inner engaging ends, and are connected to the rear upper side of the slide by a vertical headed stud, m, the opposite ends of the levers extending to the sides of the car within convenient reach of the operator.

From the foregoing description the operation and advantages of my invention will be obvious. It will be seen that when the link has been inserted into the mouth of the drawhead, so as to engage the transverse groove in the vertical branch of the jaw, the hook at the forward end of the pivoted jaw D, which in its normal position rests upon the upper end of the vertical branch of the said jaw, will fall into the vertical slot therein, thus securely holding the link until the said hook is raised by the operator, the jaw being simul- IOC ianeously thrown to its seat and the link allowed to be removed. In cars used on long travels-such as passengcr-carsit is desirable to secure the link-holding devices so as to insure the engagement of the parts and 'pre vent the same from disconnecting. To do this it is only necessary for the operator to move lhe slide over the jaw D by one of the handlevers, when it will remain in such position, and the said jaw D be prevented from moving until the operation is reversed. The cam-lever N, fixed to the rod E, engages by its hook a the hook I) on the lower end of the jaw D, and serves to hold said jaw in place, and the cam portion 0 is adapted to bear against the lower end of thejaw D, throwing the vertical yortiou d of said jaw forward, thus raising the horizontal portion and hook it from engageinent with the link, the slide P having b en previously withdrawn rearwardly.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a device for coupling cars, the COlIlbl-e nation, with the draw-head having its lower all slotted vertically and longitudinally, of the jaw I, arranged therein, having its forward-upper side curved upwardly and rear wardly to a transverse shoulder,f, and provided in the said curved portion with a vertical longitudinal slot, 9, adapted to receive a link-engagin g hook, substantially as specified. 2. The combination, with the draw-head having its lower wall provided with a pivoted jaw, I, as described, of the guide arranged in slide, its friction-spring, slotted hand-levers connecting thesaid slide, and. the swiveled i brackets supporting the said levers, all adapt cd to operate substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afidx my signature in presence of two witnesses. I

DUNCAN K. EASTMAN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE OLCOTT, HERBERT W. BOND. 

